How to Create a Panoramic Photo in Windows Live Photo Gallery

Have you ever taken a series of shots, side by side, trying to convey the vastness of a scene? Why show a series of little shots when you can create one big one? You can use Windows 7 Live Photo Gallery to create a panoramic photo. This new feature “stitches” together two or more photos to create a composite picture (assuming that you’ve selected a series of photos that cover the same panorama). It’s so easy that you won’t believe your eyes.

Windows Live Photo Gallery doesn’t come pre-installed with Windows 7. To get Windows Live Photo Gallery, you have to download it (for free) from the Windows Live Essentials Web site.

Choose Start→All Programs→Windows Live→Windows Live Photo Gallery.

The Windows Live Photo Gallery window opens.

Get the photos into Windows Live Photo Gallery.

You can use the Picture and Video Import program to pull them off a camera, copy or move the pictures to your Pictures Library, or direct Photo Gallery to add a specific folder by choosing File→Include a folder and then selecting the desired folder.

Select the photos that you want WLPG to stitch.

Press the Ctrl key while selecting the various shots, or if they’re all the files in a given folder, open the folder and press Ctrl+A.

Choose Make→Create Panoramic Photo.

WLPG asks you to verify which pictures you want to have stitched.

Type a name for the stitched picture and click Save.

WLPG stitches together the pictures — and you don’t have to lift a finger.

WLPG takes a few minutes and then produces a fabulous stitched result.